Why Beijing 2027 matters for Nairobi 2029
Kenyan coaches and officials want the next World Championships used as a rehearsal for the first edition on African soil.
In short: Nairobi will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the first in Africa. Kenyan coaches and officials quoted by The Standard on 13 October 2026 want the 2027 Championships in Beijing used as a benchmark for Nairobi's preparations.
World Athletics awarded Nairobi the 2029 World Championships on 15 September 2026 in Budapest, with Munich getting 2031, Capital FM reported. "Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said.
The next edition is in Beijing in September 2027 at the Bird's Nest, which The Standard says holds up to 91,000 fans. "We need to use the 2027 Beijing World Athletics Championships and 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as a test run," sports scientist and coach Kipchumba Byron told the paper.
Kenya is preparing the 60,000-capacity Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. World Athletics bid inspectors toured the stadium in May, and The Standard says it cleared that first check. Training venues include Nyayo National Stadium, Ulinzi Sports Complex and stadiums in Eldoret, Iten, Kapsabet, Kericho and Nakuru.
Tourism Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said Kenya wants to grow its tourism numbers "from the current 2.7 million annually to 5 million by 2029". Kenya has hosted the Kip Keino Classic since 2020, the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021.